Beverly Hills, California is home to a lot of celebrity homes – Photo Courtesy: Glen Scarborough
Like us commoners, celebrities too, beneath the thick layer of make-up, are normal human beings. They have needs that are not too different from ours. After the gruelling schedules, costumes, glamour and blinding camera flashes, all they seek is the quiet warmth and peaceful sanctuary that only a home can bring. After all, being a celebrity is nothing but a double edged sword – they get to be trendsetters and at the same time keep prying eyes and stalkers at bay. The only difference – they have ridiculously enormous amounts of wealth. If you’re one of those star-struck fans, who want to incorporate a bit of glam and flamboyance to your home, here are a few celebrity preferences that you can take ideas from:
1. Privacy
Yes, they may love flashing those dazzling smiles at the camera. They may also love being written about in the papers and being the talk of town. But the one thing every famous personality truly values and appreciates is some privacy – where they can finally be themselves, without worrying about being under the microscope. So, gated communities are mostly preferred, to keep their families and their own lives safe from any unwanted peeping Tom. Take, for instance, Katy Perry’s Los Angeles home that is surrounded by tall trees on all sides and has windows only in the back area of the home.
2. Security
Almost every celebrity lives in the secret fear of being attacked or robbed. They are, after all, people of high value. Even the celebrities with the most modest lifestyle own something exotic and valuable, an easy prey for robbers. So, security is a top priority. They either choose to live in a locality that offers top security for all its residents, or they install high end security gadgets and facilities all over their property. How important is security? Famous rapper Kanye West spends about $20,000 a week for security measures and Madonna has her own security patrolling her New York property 24/7. Enough said!
3. Location
When you’re someone who deals only in millions onwards, you need a location to match. Locations like Los Angeles, California; London; Southern France and Italy etc. are a hot favourite amongst celebrities. While some prefer places like Los Angeles, due to the proximity to Hollywood studios, “celebrity” neighbourhood and the “gated community” system, London is preferred for its eternal British charm by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow and Madonna. Johnny Depp fell in love with France, due to the minimal paparazzi interference and the ability to live as locals.
4. View
A beautiful view in Salzburg, Austria – Photo Courtesy: Edwin Lee
A slight spin-off of the locations, when you’re shelling out a million dollars for property, you better make sure it has to offer heavenly view. I mean, what celebrity doesn’t like waking up to something far more spectacular than their reflection? A mind-blowing view is just taken into consideration, without even saying it out loud. Be it, floor to ceiling windows facing the city’s skyline or a patio facing the sparkling blue ocean or vast blankets of forest, a view is a must. And when nature fails to offer a view, creative men come into action – bringing beautifully manicured gardens, koi ponds, artificial lakes etc. to the fore.
5. Pool
They don’t have the time to visit the pool club and skinny dipping at the beach is too risky. But they have money, to make up for that loss. And how! EVERY celebrity home – even that of the busiest, comes with a custom designed, high-end, swimming pool. And the famous people leave no stone unturned to make these pools the highlight of the property. Take Celine Dion’s water-park themed mansion, for instance. The 3.7 acre property comes with a gigantic pool in the backyard and is surrounded by smaller pools and an outdoor waterfall and is fed by almost half a million gallons of water per year!
Left: Luxury Celine Dion Mansion Deluxe and Water Parks – Photo Courtesy: Homevoo.com
6. Garage, Walk-in Closet, Entertainment Centre, Outdoor Sports Area
For most celebrities, “You are what you wear, drive, watch and play” seems to be the motto. They love their cars and their clothes, so obviously they need space to house their purchases. And these are not just empty spaces, used merely for storage purposes. We’re talking underground hi-tech garages, walk-in closets, and huge private indoor theatres along with a standard sized sports area and a fully equipped gym. Sounds like a lot? Mariah Carey has a separate closet only for her lingerie and another walk-in, temperature and humidity controlled closet for her clothes and shoes!
While, most of this sounds exorbitantly ginormous and way beyond your budget, they form excellent sources of ideas for your personal home décor. And even though it might be on a much smaller scale, they will add oodles of style to your home.
Donny Cage is the writer of this article. He works for Diesel Development, workplace of some of the most talented and prestigious home builders. They specialize in creating the perfect luxury homes for their customers – that too at very competitive rates.
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